The present invention relates generally to an apparatus for trapping animals, and more particularly to an animal trap modified to trap and hold multiple animals of similar size such as chipmunks, sparrows, starlings, mice and the like without harming the animals in the trapping process.
Various types of small animals such as sparrows, starlings, crows, rodents and other mammals can be serious problems to inter alia farmers, airports and to the general public. Such animals are attracted to food provided for domestic or farm animals. The undesirable animals not only steal the food from the other animals, but they also contaminate the food by leaving their droppings and by carrying germs from one place to another.
Devices for eliminating undesirable animals from a certain environment without harming the desirable animals have been generally unsuccessful. Various chemicals have been used for eliminating certain undesirable animals. Chemical extermination is usally expensive and may have little effect against such animals. Such chemical methods of extermination through the natural food chain can create undesirable effects on the community in general. In many cases, the undesirable effects are not apparent in the community for several years.
Environmentalists have been concerned over both the spread of disease by undesirable small animals as well as by the dangerous effect of chemical methods for eliminating such animals. Sparrows appear to be one of the biggest nuisances because of their ability to tolerate polluted water. Sparrows spread germs and disease such as cholera throughout an animal population. The sparrows are also a particular nuisance in airports where they will build nests inside the wings.
Consequently a need exists for an apparatus which will trap animals without harming or injuring them, but which will readily permit humane extermination of the undesirable animals within the trap. There does not appear to be an apparatus currently available which provides for the restraining of multiple animals of similar size without polluting the area, and which permits both humane extermination or elimination of the undesirable animals and protection of the desirable animals so they can be readmitted into the environment.